Pols, NBA players condemn racist remarks

The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Saturday called for a quick response from both the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association over an explosive recording of a man alleged to be Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist remarks.

“There must be some form of punishment,” Jackson told TMZ on Saturday of the comments that set the Internet alight. “There must be a response and if they don’t respond, there must be picket signs.”

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The NBA is investigating — and in the process of validating — the recording of a conversation reportedly between Sterling and his girlfriend in which the team owner allegedly warned her not to bring black players to team games.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called the audio recording, first posted by TMZ on Friday, “truly offensive” while Sterling has apologized for “sentiments attributed to him” about Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.

“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?” the voice in the recording says.

The man tells his girlfriend, who TMZ identified as V. Stiviano, to not post photos onto Instagram with black people, including Johnson.

“Don’t put [Johnson] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don’t bring him to my games,” he says.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who also sits as the chairman of the NBPA, in a statement Saturday said he will be leading the group’s response, which he said will play a “very active role in determining how this issue is addressed.”

“The reported comments made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling are reprehensible and unacceptable,” said Johnson, who also was sworn in as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors earlier this month.

“There needs to be an immediate investigation and if the reports are true, there needs to be strong and swift action taken,” Johnson said.

Johnson added that he will be reaching out to the NBA formally “to determine our next steps.”

Magic Johnson tweeted that he would not attend another Clippers games while Sterling was owner. League MVP LeBron James called on the league to throw Sterling out.

Chris Paul, who both plays for the Clippers and is the president of the NBPA, also released a statement announcing Kevin Johnson’s expanded role in handling what Paul called a “serious issue” that the group will “address aggressively.”

“As players, we owe it to our teams and our fans to keep our focus on our game, the playoffs, and a drive to the Finals,” Paul said in a statement.

The Clippers released a statement questioning the recording’s authenticity as well as its source.

“We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered,” a statement by team president, Andy Roeser said. “We do know that the woman on the tape — who we believe released it to TMZ — is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family alleging that she embezzled more than $1.8 million, who told Mr. Sterling that she would ‘get even.’”

The statement said that the recording is not consistent nor reflects Sterling’s views.

“It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life,” Roeser said. “He feels terrible that such sentiments are being attributed to him and apologizes to anyone who might have been hurt by them.”

The statement also said that Sterling is upset and apologizes for the “sentiments attributed to him” about Johnson.

“He has long considered Magic a friend and has only the utmost respect and admiration for him—both in terms of who he is and what he has achieved,” the statement said.